Portable hand fire extinguisher



July 3, 1962 J. A. SIEVERT PORTABLE HAND FIRE EXTINGUISHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 21, 1959 INVENTOR.

JAME$ A 5| EVERT BY Fla l July 3, 1962 J. A. SIEVERT 3,042,117

PORTABLE HAND FI RE EXTINGUISHER Filed May 21, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG-Z INVENTOR.

JAMEE A. SIEVERT July 3, 1962 .1. A. S]EVERT PORTABLE HAND FIRE EXTINGUISHER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 21, 1959 INVENTOR.

' JAMES A. SIEVERT y 1962 J. A. SIEVERT 3,042,117

PORTABLE HAND FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed May 21, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

JAM as A suave-=21 United States Parent 3,042,117 PORTABLE HAND FIRE EXTINGUISHER James A. Sievert, Menominee, Mich., assignor to Ansul Chemical Company, Marinette, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed May 21, 1959, Ser. No. 814,779 Claims. (Cl. 16931) This invention relates to improvements in fire-extinguishing equipment. More specifically, the invention relates to fire-extinguishing equipment of the type wherein a dry, powdered, free-flowing, non-caking fire-extinguishing composition is expelled and borne to the flame to be extinguished by an inert gas under high pressure.

It is an object of this invention to provide a fire extinguisher from which an unusually high percentage of the dry chemical agent can be discharged. It is a further object of this invention to provide an extinguisher which may be more conveniently carried to the scene of the fire.

In the stored pressure type extinguisher, the extinguishing agent such as dry chemical is stored under pressure until needed, at which time operation of a valve sealing the extinguisher permits the pressure within the shell to force the dry chemical up a riser tube and through a hose to be directed toward the fire by a nozzle. The fire extinguishers currently available usually employ a riser tube which is more or less coaxial with the extinguisher shell in combination with a concave or a conical bottom. The use of the conical bottom results in an extinguisher whose overall dimensions are greater than other extinguishers of comparable capacity. In many cases the riser tube is not positively positioned in coaxial relation with the shell and during insertion may be deflected by the dry chemical in the extinguisher. With this type of construction, 90- 95% of the dry chemical stored in the extinguisher may be discharged.

In the usual type of extinguisher the carrying handle is afiixed to the head assembly and the extinguisher is carried in a more or less vertical position. Carrying such an extinguisher, particularly a large one, is awkward and does not allow most rapid movement to the scene of the fire.

I have now found that by placing the carrying handle on the side of the extinguisher, the extinguisher will not be vertical when held in the hand but will assume an angle about 30 to 45 from the vertical, which results in a remarkable increase in the ease with which the extinguisher may be carried to the scene of the fire. I have further found that by directing the riser tube to a side diametrically opposite the carrying handle, a combination is obtained which results in 98 to 99/270 of the dry chemical being discharged from the extinguisher. Be cause of the discharge of this additional chemical, my extinguisher is as much as more effective than extinguishers of the prior art.

Further details and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the fire-extinguishing apparatus partly broken and partly in section,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section view of the head portion of the extinguisher in inoperative condition,

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 in operative position for releasing the fire-extinguishing agent,

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the carrying handle positioned at an angle, and

FIGURE 5 is a side of the fire extinguisher being carried by its handle while being discharged.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a fire-extinguishing apparatus constructed in accordance with 3,942,117 Patented July 3, 1962 ice this invention comprising a steel cylindrical shell or receptacle 21 in which is stored a fire-extinguishing agent. The receptacle is adapted to be closed by ahead assembly 1 secured in place with a union ring 15 and sealed by gasket 31. The head assembly has a bore 2 which is sealed by a valve body 5 that is actuated by a plunger 3 connected to the actuating lever 7. A riser tube 40, welded to the extinguisher shell at its lower end a, is provided to convey the dry chemical to the head assembly and its upper end 40b is maintained in pressure tight engagement therewith by the O-ring 30. A flexible hose 24 is suitably connected to an outlet port 24a in the head assembly and the hose is provided at its free end with a nozzle 23 provided with a valve 35 which is actuated by the lever 34. When not in use, the nozzle 23 is removably retained by the nozzle holster 22 fixed to the shell 21. The pressure within the extinguisher shell is displayed on the pressure gauge 41 which is communication with the interior of the shell by suitable passageways. The cover affords protection to the pressure gauge and the other parts of the extinguisher head. Inadvertent movement of the actuating lever 7 is prevented by the ring pin which is flexibly attached to the cover 50 by the chain 56. The carrying handle 25 is suitably attached to the extinguisher shell.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the construction in greater detail, with the parts positioned as they appear during storage of the extinguisher. The carrying handle 25 is pivotally mounted to the handle lug 53 by a rivet 52. When not in use, the handle is maintained roughly parallel to the extinguisher body by the spring 54. The relative positions of the actuating parts previously described are shown in FIGURE 3 during discharge of the fire-extinguishing agent. FIGURE 4 shows the handle at an inclined angle when the extinguisher is carried as shown in FIGURE 5. The handle has a shoulder portion 59 which abuts a stop portion on lug 53 thereby limiting its outward movement.

The fire extinguisher head 1 has an internal bore 2 designed to accommodate an axially movable plunger 3. A pivotally mounted actuating lever 7 engages the upper end 3a of the plunger. Leakage around the plunger is prevented by sealing washers 51. The lower end of the plunger is fitted with a valve body 5 which seals against the valve seat 4. The helical spring 10 urges the actuating lever to a position which holds the valve body in sealing engagement with the seat 4. The actuating lever 7 is provided with a hook 11 and a release lever 8 which are movably mounted on a pivot 13. The book 11 and the release lever are urged into contact with the actuating lever by the torsion spring 9. The head 1 is retained on the extinguisher by the threads 57 on the collar 58 engaging the union ring 15 which has a slot 18 dimensioned to receive the release lever. The gasket 31 renders the assembly pressure tight.

To operates the extinguisher, the actuating lever 7 is depressed which opens the valve 5 releasing the dry chemical and its expellent gas through the discharge passage into the hose where its discharge is controlled by the nozzle valve 35. Depressing the actuating lever also causes the hook 11 to engage the pin 12, which is mounted in an extension 42 of the head casting, to restrain the actuating lever and the plunger in the depressed position which in turn maintains the valve 5 in the open position as shown in FIGURE 3. In the act of latching the hook moves relative to the release lever which enables the hook to deflect sufliciently to engage the pin while the release lever is restrained by the union ring rim 20.

To place the extinguisher in operation, as shown in FIGURE 5, the nozzle 23 is Withdrawn from the nozzle holster 22, the ring pin 55 is withdrawn from the cover 50, the actuating lever 7 depressed until it locks in the open position, the extinguisher grasped and carried by the handle 25 and the stream of dry chemical agent released with the nozzle valve handle 34 and directed toward the fire.

The carrying handle 25 is situated relative to the center of gravity of the extinguisher so that when the extinguisher is supported thereby it assumes an angle of about 30 to 45 to the vertical. As the handle is raised face 59 engages face 60- which assists in positioning the extinguisher at this angle, and restrains the handle against excessive movement in a vertical plane. To insure discharge of substantially all the extinguishing agent, the riser tube 40 is permanently attached to the extinguisher shell, such as by welding, at a spot directly opposite the side to which the carrying handle is aflixed. By permanently attaching the riser tube as indicated, the problem associated with inexpert assembly, which may occur in extinguishers of the prior art, is eliminated. By permanently positioning the riser tube it is always in position to effect maximum discharge of extinguishing agents. That it does this is attested to by the fact that my extinguisher will consistently discharge as much as more extinguishing agent than extinguishers of current manufacture.

After the fire-extinguishing 'agent has been completely discharged from the shell 21, the union ring is rotated so as to align the slot 18 with the release lever 8 which can now be depressed so as to release hook 11 from pin 12. The head assembly is then removed from the shell and the shell is filled with fire-extinguishing agent. The head is then replaced and the shell is suitably pressurized with air, nitrogen or other inert gas supplied through port 24a.

It is to be understood that modifications and changes may be made in the specific embodiment herein described which are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fire extinguisher comprising a shell containing an extinguishing agent under pressure, said shell being rendered pressure-tight by a head assembly having a valve for discharging the contents of the extinguisher, said head assembly being removable for recharging the extinguisher, a riser tube for conveying extinguishing agent to the valve in the head assembly, a handle for carrying the extinguisher, the lower end of the riser tube and the handle benig permanently attached to opposite sides of the extinguisher shell.

2. A fire extinguisher according to claim 1, wherein the position of the carrying handle is such that when the extinguisher is supported therefrom the extinguisher makes an angle of about 30 to 45 with the vertical.

3. A fire extinguisher comprising: a shell for containing fire extinguisher agent under pressure, a head assembly for said shell including means for discharging the fire extinguisher agent, said head assembly being removable from said shell for recharging said shell, a riser tube communicating with said shell and said head assembly for conveying extinguishing agent to said discharge means, said tube being permamently affixed to said shell and removable from said head assembly whereby when said head assembly is removed from said shell said tube will remain connected with said shell.

4. A fire extinguisher comprising: a shell for containing fire extinguisher agent under pressure, a removable head assembly for said shell including means for discharging the fire extinguisher agent, said head assembly being removable from said shell for recharging said shell, a riser tube in removable sealing relationship with said head assembly communicating with said shell for conveying the extinguisher agent to said discharge means, and means for fixedly attaching said tube to one side of said shell for permitting said tube and said shell to be separated as a unit from said pressure head when said shell is to be recharged.

5. A fire extinguisher comprising: a shell for containing fire extinguisher agent under pressure, a head assembly for said shell including means for discharging the fire extinguisher agent, saidhead assembly being removable from said shell for recharging said shell, a riser tube in removable sealing relationship with said head assembly communicating with said shell for conveying the extinguisher agent to said discharge means, means for fixedly attaching said tube to one side of said shell for permitting said tube and said shell to be separated as a unit from said head assembly when said shell is to be recharged and handle means attached to the side of said shell substantially opposite to said means fixedly attaching said tube to said shell.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 578,703 Parker et al Mar. 9, 1897 2,249,082 Jenkins July 15, 1941 2,397,235 Boal Mar. 26, 1946 2,541,554 Smith Feb. 13, 1951 2,580,419 Gn'ggs Jan. 1, 1952 2,620,038 Somers Dec. 2, 1952 2,621,746 Beauregard Dec. 16, 1952 2,630,942 Shaffer Mar. 10, 1953 2,822,054 Howard Feb. 4, 1958 wee au a-r m 

